# Dead Torch Lighters



## roughrider (Feb 25, 2008)

Most cheap torch lighters stop working after a few weeks/months of use. At least thats been my experience. What do you guys do with yours when they crap out? Toss 'em, keep 'em around.


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## Nitrosportman (Oct 26, 2009)

fix em unless they're absolutely broken then i'll throw em in my junk box never know when you'll need some parts


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## Wild 7EVEN (Nov 7, 2009)

I toss em, but then I've only had a few crap out on me.


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## smokin nightly (Sep 9, 2009)

I seem to loose them...


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## Warren (Apr 6, 2007)

It's not just the cheap ones. Every Colibri I've bought (some for $100+) stopped working after a short time. I toss 'em. Life's too short. 

Oddly enough the only reliable Colibri I have is the cheapie "Firebirds". I asked a dealer why those seem to work and the more expensive ones don't and he said the Firebirds are the only ones not actually made by Colibri. 

Also whoever makes lighters for Rocky Patel does a good job. I got a triple flame lighter for $50 last summer and it works like a champ still. And it almost always gets drug store brand butane whereas my Colibris always got that expensive triple distilled stuff.


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## Shabalula (Feb 24, 2007)

I toss em in my junk drawer. Every so often I purge the drawer, so eventually they get tossed. I quit with the expensive lighters and now stick to the Ronsons. It doesn't hurt so bad to replace those. :mrgreen:


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## PerpetualNoob (Sep 9, 2008)

Warren said:


> Oddly enough the only reliable Colibri I have is the cheapie "Firebirds". I asked a dealer why those seem to work and the more expensive ones don't and he said the Firebirds are the only ones not actually made by Colibri.


This explains so much! Like, how my CI Synchro is still going strong after a year of hard use and no pampering. Which in turn may explain why they discontinued the entire line, which in turn may help explain why they went BANKRUPT! Like peeling an onion. Great business plan, guys. Out of what remains on their website, I couldn't find anything listing for under $39.95, and mostly a lot more.

So, I'm sitting here wondering who actually manufactured the Firebird line for them, and if they still do. I obviously have no brand loyalty to the buffoons at Colibri.


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## smelvis (Sep 7, 2009)

Never again will I buy Colibri, that said I have a bunch of em, I guess someday I will try and get them working, if so probably pass them on to people without. The ones i can't get working again will go in the garbage.

Colibri sucks. I do have 5/6 from JR and they have black around them and at the time he said return for a new one with or without a receipt, I plan on trying his word out some day!


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## roughrider (Feb 25, 2008)

I had a pretty new lighter take a dump on me recently. I took it apart and it seems that the piezo-electric ignitor case broke. The plastic holding the igniter/trigger mechanism is cracked so it doesn't make the clicking sound when you press the trigger.

I think I can save the lighter if I replace that piece. Do any of you guys have the piezo-electric ignitor/trigger laying around from a dead torch that you don't need? Thanks.

The image is just for illustration purposes. My ignitor is the standard black color that comes on most torches from China.


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## Cigary (Oct 19, 2007)

Since I bought a Ronson a year ago I stopped throwing away my lighters. I went out and bought another dozen with the hopes my lighter buying days are over and so far so good. I have thrown away more lighters in my lifetime,,,Prometheus, Colobri, Xikar, Lotus, you name it. Now, if my Ronson breaks down, I pitch it and get the next one in line.


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## baba (Nov 5, 2007)

It seems that most torch lighters just stop working. I buy cheap torch lighters off of ebay for about $4 bucks each which includes shipping. They seem to work as long as the more expensive one.


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## kid smoker (Oct 13, 2009)

The amazing thing about Colibri is that they remained in business as long as they did. I purchased a couple of their lighters back in the seventies. They cashed in their chips within a few months of use. Of course, there was no interweb on which to whine about it so the word just didn't get out.

It really ticked me off when it happened. It seems their business plan was to make a pretty lighter very cheaply so that it would break quickly in hopes that the customer was stupid enough to buy more of them. I fell for it twice. But I was a cigarette smoker back then.

That turned me into a Zippo user. Unfortunately the fuel makes the cigar taste bad.

In various drawers and boxes I have lighters that date from the nineteen fifties. Here's what I know about them.

The Zippos and clones work.
The butane lighters do not. Some might work if I put them on the bench and troubleshoot them. Some will never work again.

In current rotation I have a Xikar next to my chair and several Ronson Jet Lites in jacket pockets and vehicles. At four bucks a throw I don't care if they quit.


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## Wild 7EVEN (Nov 7, 2009)

kid smoker said:


> That turned me into a Zippo user. Unfortunately the fuel makes the cigar taste bad.


yeah I love Zippo too. I have actually found the Blazer Z-plus insert I've been using to be really reliable, and has held up for the past 6 mos. fits right in my zippo case.


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## MrMusicMan1 (Sep 5, 2008)

Cigary said:


> Since I bought a Ronson a year ago I stopped throwing away my lighters. I went out and bought another dozen with the hopes my lighter buying days are over and so far so good. I have thrown away more lighters in my lifetime,,,Prometheus, Colobri, Xikar, Lotus, you name it. Now, if my Ronson breaks down, I pitch it and get the next one in line.


This is exactly what I do.

Maybe I'm lucky but I have 3 others that have help up to 1+ years of heavy use. The Perdomo Table lighter Thunderaga (or something like that). I have 2 of those both work like a champ every time. The 3rd is the Burner from Alec Bradley (I think). After you are done lighting your cigar with that you can heat your house!


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## Strick (Aug 21, 2008)

I have a couple of Xikars. One quit and i just took it back to my B&m and got a new one. Have not had to retire any yet...


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## kid smoker (Oct 13, 2009)

Wild 7EVEN said:


> yeah I love Zippo too. I have actually found the Blazer Z-plus insert I've been using to be really reliable, and has held up for the past 6 mos. fits right in my zippo case.


I had one in a EBMM Zippo case I got from them when I was a retailer. It is my favorite Zippo.

The Blazer-Z crapped out after about three months. The reservoir is pretty small, too. Disappointing.


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## slyder (Mar 17, 2009)

i second Ronson.....bought like 15 of em.........only used one so far and its been over a year of everyday use.


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## Cigary (Oct 19, 2007)

Here's an addendum as far as lighters are concerned. I can't remember if it was on this site or not but a brother brought up another lighter that he got and was very impressed with it. I saw the ad for it and also the video on how it works. It was something I have always wanted in a lighter because it not only is a butane torch but also a soft flame lighter. Now, as we all know those types of lighters can get expensive much less that they work all the time. So, I order this lighter and at the time it was $7.99 total and that includes shipping and I got it a few weeks ago. I LOVE THIS LIGHTER! I love a soft flame to light my cigars because A. it is a better light B. Uses less fuel. To light the soft flame you use the torch lighter first ( on top of the lighter ) and then to use the soft flame you squeeze the trigger on the side of the lighter and then the torch lights the flame ( then you release the torch trigger to keep the soft flame lit,,,very easy operation)

I now use this lighter more than my Ronson and use 5x butane fuel to keep this thing operating at peak efficiency,,,so far so great! Anyway, here's the link and a surprise,,,they have the damn thing on sale for $5,,,f'n amazing for a lighter like this. BuyLighters.com - Double Flames Slide Lighter


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## Nitrosportman (Oct 26, 2009)

send broke lighters to me please

those piezo ignitions are pretty universal if you buy a electronic ignition bic you can take it out and replace the one in your lighter these are very very simple pieces of technology people they can be fixed don't fall into the clutches of a "THROW AWAY" world


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## ARCHAIC (Oct 5, 2009)

Strick said:


> I have a couple of Xikars. One quit and i just took it back to my B&m and got a new one. Have not had to retire any yet...


 +1 When I was @ serious lookin for a new torch, I was immediately pointed toward the Xikar's! Was told up front that they are not the best but when it craps out on me I could bring it back & swap for a new one!! First one lasted about a week & died, 2nd has been going for about a month but im at the B&M so much that when it dies ill get another! Kinda like a lifetime supply for the price of one!:madgrin:


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## mb2006 (Aug 16, 2009)

I have lots of cheap once what not working just waist of money , then i got Corona ,works great .


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## Phantom57 (Jan 15, 2009)

I don't see the need for a torch. I use a soft flame, ie, the IM Corona Old Boy. I have a couple of them and have never had a problem with them in many years. I do have a Xikar torch, but only use it if I am home and a cigar needs a slight touch up, which is fairly rare.


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## TiggaBob (Sep 19, 2009)

Cigary said:


> Here's an addendum as far as lighters are concerned. I can't remember if it was on this site or not but a brother brought up another lighter that he got and was very impressed with it. I saw the ad for it and also the video on how it works. It was something I have always wanted in a lighter because it not only is a butane torch but also a soft flame lighter. Now, as we all know those types of lighters can get expensive much less that they work all the time. So, I order this lighter and at the time it was $7.99 total and that includes shipping and I got it a few weeks ago. I LOVE THIS LIGHTER! I love a soft flame to light my cigars because A. it is a better light B. Uses less fuel. To light the soft flame you use the torch lighter first ( on top of the lighter ) and then to use the soft flame you squeeze the trigger on the side of the lighter and then the torch lights the flame ( then you release the torch trigger to keep the soft flame lit,,,very easy operation)
> 
> I now use this lighter more than my Ronson and use 5x butane fuel to keep this thing operating at peak efficiency,,,so far so great! Anyway, here's the link and a surprise,,,they have the damn thing on sale for $5,,,f'n amazing for a lighter like this. [lighter link]


Wow, Gary, you are like this fountain of cigar knowledge.

Back when I was lighter shopping I couldn't find an inexpensive, reliable combination torch/soft flame lighter. I wish I knew about this before I bought my Blazer PB-207. Not that there's anything wrong w/ the Blazer (it's a champ), but the one you linked to is only 25% the price. On top of that, it has *free shipping*!!!! That said, I went ahead and ordered one. Thank you, sir!


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## mdrumm (Nov 12, 2009)

Thanks for the info Gary- I ordered 5 - might drop in some upcoming bombs


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